1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an embroidery data preparing method and apparatus which can prepare needle position relating data necessary to fill an embroidery area with stitches formed by an embroidery machine, and more particularly to an embroidery data preparing method and apparatus which can effectively prepare needle position relating data when an embroidery area is defined by a plurality of closed outlines.
2. Description of the Related Art
An embroidery data preparing apparatus is disclosed in pending U.S. Pat. No. 7,593,026, filed by the same assignee as the assignee of the present patent application, which includes an outline data memory for storing therein outline data defining a closed outline which in turn defines an embroidery area to be filled with stitches formed by an embroidery machine, and needle position relating data producing means for producing needle position relating data necessary to fill the embroidery area with stitches.
An embroidery area is not always defined by a single closed outline (hereinafter referred to only as "outline"). For example, an embroidery area is sometimes defined by a plurality of outlines as shown in FIG. 9. However, since the embroidery data preparing apparatus mentioned above is designed so that it may effectively prepare needle position relating data when the number of outlines that define an embroidery area is "1", a problem occurs in that, where the number of outlines that define an embroidery area is a plural number, desirable needle position relating data may not possibly be prepared for the embroidery area.